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Charles M. Furman, Jr. to Frances E. Garden - Letter. July 29, 1863.

Page 1

Bluffton July 29th 1863
Darling Fan
Yours of the 25th inst was received last night. My letters will take as I told you before two days more to reach you than when mailed at Camp Allen. Sometimes when we send up in the afternoon, it may be that only one day will be lost. Some of my late letters were not mailed promptly, I expect. They were thus longer on the way than they would have been otherwise.
I am sorry to hear that the army has fared so badly in Pa. & Maryland, I had thought that they had an abundance of provisions at all events - but it seems I was mistaken. I had seen by the papers that they had gained but little in the way of shoes, hats, &c., the merchants of Mercersburg, Chambersburg, &c., having shipped their goods to Harrisburg upon the first advance of the rebel horde. I am in hopes Lee did secure a considerable amount of valuable stores, in spite of the scarcity among his troops. The want of some thing to eat, is by no means a proof that there is nothing on hand; mismanagement in the Commissary Dept. either has or is supposed to have very much to do, often-times, with the suffering in the army then again in such a campaign as the recent one, the movements were made under so many difficulties and it was necessary to use such precautions to secure our long trains from capture that the greater part of the provisions were probably hurried across the Potomac and up the Valley before the Army crossed. Forced marches render fasting necessary From all that I can hear I am led to conclude that Lee fought the battle of Gettysburg on a venture. He saw that Meade’s position was a strong one, and that he was rapidly concentrating his army - he felt the vast importance of striking a blow, before this army was collected and increased by the junction of troops rapidly coming from all quarters for its reinforcement. He might be successful today, he would be in a worse condition tomorrow, the enemy gained by delay, he stood still. If he proved successful Meade’s army was disorganized, the rest would be easy Washington, Baltimore Philadelphia lay helpless before him. He struck but he was too late - his enemy was already too numerous, his position stronger than he had supposed, the result was inevitable he failed. Some blame is thrown by “P.W.A.” on certain parts of the army These strictures may be just, but it is a singular fact, that wherever there is defeat or even failure some one is invariably made the scape-goat. The truth is that in any great undertaking involving the separate action of numbers of persons - there is failure almost invariably on the part of some of them - if the object is successful we never hear of mere delinquents, if unsuccessful they are relentlessly paraded before the world and are blamed ever more than they deserve to be. Lee failed from unavoidable mistakes, he could not know the number of Meade’s troops, the strength of the Gettysburg Hts. -
From the tone of your last letters I am left in doubt whether you think that you have yet cause to hope that your sins have been forgiven you. I beg that you will not lessen your exertions until this greatest of goods shall have been accomplished. Delay only increases the likelihood of final destruction. Every dictate of wisdom urges to improve the present time. And what more appropriate time to seek God than this. This time of darkness & trouble when we have so much cause to feel our dependence upon him. Love to Mamma
Yrs with much love
Charlie

Bluffton July 29th 1863
Darling Fan
Yours of the 25th inst was received last night. My letters will take as I told you before two days more to reach you than when mailed at Camp Allen. Sometimes when we send up in the afternoon, it may be that only one day will be lost. Some of my late letters were not mailed promptly, I expect. They were thus longer on the way than they would have been otherwise.
I am sorry to hear that the army has fared so badly in Pa. & Maryland, I had thought that they had an abundance of provisions at all events - but it seems I was mistaken. I had seen by the papers that they had gained but little in the way of shoes, hats, &c., the merchants of Mercersburg, Chambersburg, &c., having shipped their goods to Harrisburg upon the first advance of the rebel horde. I am in hopes Lee did secure a considerable amount of valuable stores, in spite of the scarcity among his troops. The want of some thing to eat, is by no means a proof that there is nothing on hand; mismanagement in the Commissary Dept. either has or is supposed to have very much to do, often-times, with the suffering in the army then again in such a campaign as the recent one, the movements were made under so many difficulties and it was necessary to use such precautions to secure our long trains from capture that the greater part of the provisions were probably hurried across the Potomac and up the Valley before the Army crossed. Forced marches render fasting necessary From all that I can hear I am led to conclude that Lee fought the battle of Gettysburg on a venture. He saw that Meade’s position was a strong one, and that he was rapidly concentrating his army - he felt the vast importance of striking a blow, before this army was collected and increased by the junction of troops rapidly coming from all quarters for its reinforcement. He might be successful today, he would be in a worse condition tomorrow, the enemy gained by delay, he stood still. If he proved successful Meade’s army was disorganized, the rest would be easy Washington, Baltimore Philadelphia lay helpless before him. He struck but he was too late - his enemy was already too numerous, his position stronger than he had supposed, the result was inevitable he failed. Some blame is thrown by “P.W.A.” on certain parts of the army These strictures may be just, but it is a singular fact, that wherever there is defeat or even failure some one is invariably made the scape-goat. The truth is that in any great undertaking involving the separate action of numbers of persons - there is failure almost invariably on the part of some of them - if the object is successful we never hear of mere delinquents, if unsuccessful they are relentlessly paraded before the world and are blamed ever more than they deserve to be. Lee failed from unavoidable mistakes, he could not know the number of Meade’s troops, the strength of the Gettysburg Hts. -
From the tone of your last letters I am left in doubt whether you think that you have yet cause to hope that your sins have been forgiven you. I beg that you will not lessen your exertions until this greatest of goods shall have been accomplished. Delay only increases the likelihood of final destruction. Every dictate of wisdom urges to improve the present time. And what more appropriate time to seek God than this. This time of darkness & trouble when we have so much cause to feel our dependence upon him. Love to Mamma
Yrs with much love
Charlie

Bluffton July 29th 1863
Darling Fan
Yours of the 25th inst was received last night. My letters will take as I told you before two days more to reach you than when mailed at Camp Allen. Sometimes when we send up in the afternoon, it may be that only one day will be lost. Some of my late letters were not mailed promptly, I expect. They were thus longer on the way than they would have been otherwise.
I am sorry to hear that the army has fared so badly in Pa. & Maryland, I had thought that they had an abundance of provisions at all events - but it seems I was mistaken. I had seen by the papers that they had gained but little in the way of shoes, hats, &c., the merchants of Mercersburg, Chambersburg, &c., having shipped their goods to Harrisburg upon the first advance of the rebel horde. I am in hopes Lee did secure a considerable amount of valuable stores, in spite of the scarcity among his troops. The want of some thing to eat, is by no means a proof that there is nothing on hand; mismanagement in the Commissary Dept. either has or is supposed to have very much to do, often-times, with the suffering in the army then again in such a campaign as the recent one, the movements were made under so many difficulties and it was necessary to use such precautions to secure our long trains from capture that the greater part of the provisions were probably hurried across the Potomac and up the Valley before the Army crossed. Forced marches render fasting necessary From all that I can hear I am led to conclude that Lee fought the battle of Gettysburg on a venture. He saw that Meade’s position was a strong one, and that he was rapidly concentrating his army - he felt the vast importance of striking a blow, before this army was collected and increased by the junction of troops rapidly coming from all quarters for its reinforcement. He might be successful today, he would be in a worse condition tomorrow, the enemy gained by delay, he stood still. If he proved successful Meade’s army was disorganized, the rest would be easy Washington, Baltimore Philadelphia lay helpless before him. He struck but he was too late - his enemy was already too numerous, his position stronger than he had supposed, the result was inevitable he failed. Some blame is thrown by “P.W.A.” on certain parts of the army These strictures may be just, but it is a singular fact, that wherever there is defeat or even failure some one is invariably made the scape-goat. The truth is that in any great undertaking involving the separate action of numbers of persons - there is failure almost invariably on the part of some of them - if the object is successful we never hear of mere delinquents, if unsuccessful they are relentlessly paraded before the world and are blamed ever more than they deserve to be. Lee failed from unavoidable mistakes, he could not know the number of Meade’s troops, the strength of the Gettysburg Hts. -
From the tone of your last letters I am left in doubt whether you think that you have yet cause to hope that your sins have been forgiven you. I beg that you will not lessen your exertions until this greatest of goods shall have been accomplished. Delay only increases the likelihood of final destruction. Every dictate of wisdom urges to improve the present time. And what more appropriate time to seek God than this. This time of darkness & trouble when we have so much cause to feel our dependence upon him. Love to Mamma
Yrs with much love
Charlie